


Off the Sideline

by neverthesame



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-11-19
Packaged: 2018-02-25 06:06:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2611181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverthesame/pseuds/neverthesame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The minute Laura realizes someone else might want Danny. Will it be enough to push her towards the redhead?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Danny hasn't been around for weeks and Laura was starting to worry. After their non-breakup, Laura's interactions with the tall TA has been limited to unintentional eye contact during her Lit lecture. Danny seemed hellbent on keeping her distance, and at first Laura appreciated the lack of hovering. It's just that after a while, she began to wonder if she would ever get some part of Danny back. She missed her.

The only thing that helped her forget the urge to accost Danny after class was her vampire roommate. Things had been progressing nicely between her and Carmilla in Danny's absence. Unattached, Laura found herself more and more drawn to Carmilla's mystique, and apparent soft spot for adorkable short girls. Carmilla lacked Danny's intensity and passion, but she made Laura feel bolder. Laura was just starting to convince herself that she could live without sexy red hair and long legs that distract her during class and that the brooding vampire with natural swag more than made up for the loss of her first crush when LaFontaine dropped a bomb on her one night.

"I ran into Danny at the movies the other night. I didn't know tall gay Amazons took their dates to movies . I thought she was all about bonfires and nighttime hunts." LaFontaine meant it as a lighthearted joke, but Laura wasn't laughing.

"Danny was on a date?" She asked tentatively. "She told you that?"

"Well not exactly, but the tall brunette next to her was a little too touchy-feely not to be a date." 

There it was. Danny was moving on. If she really thought about it, she couldn't blame Danny. The older girl left her room thinking she didn't want her, and Laura didn't exactly make any effort to make her think otherwise. She never texted or called Danny after that night. And if Danny was watching her videos, she probably saw what was happening between Laura and Carmilla.

Carmilla. That's who she should focus on. The alluring centuries-old badass who was now her... what, exactly? This is all so confusing. Laura shook her head and didn't catch herself in time before asking LaFontaine,

"So what did she look like" did she really want to know? "Uh...Danny's date, I mean?"

"Tall, pretty, brown hair. She's shorter than Danny. Everyone is." She added the last part under her breath as she got lost in her research again.

Laura wanted to ask, 'How did Danny look? Did she look happy? Like she was into her date? Her touchy-feely clingy date?' And 'oh god... Was she touching her too?' But she bit back her questions. She wasn't really ready for the answer.


	2. Awkward

Laura had been fidgeting in her seat since the start of her lit lecture. She tried her best to listen to the discussion, but she was finding it very difficult to concentrate. Their professor was out for the day, and Danny was tasked with leading their discussion on _Love in the Time of Cholera._ More than ever, she hated the theater-style seating of this lecture hall. There was no seat in the house that didn't afford her a clear, unobstructed view of the tall redhead. 

In this setting, Danny was in her element. She was dynamic, moving around the front of the room, making sure to engage almost every single student. She spoke with abandon, passion evident in everything she said. For her efforts, she was rewarded with rapt attention from her students who seemed to hang onto her every word.

Laura was grateful that Danny was so into the discussion, that the TA didn't seem to notice how distracted the younger girl was. Or at least, if the girl did notice, Laura was glad Danny had the grace not to call her out on it. But Laura was paying more attention to Danny's outfit than her classmates' thoughts on the subversive undertones in Gabriel Garcia Marquez' work. 

Danny had on a rust colored high waisted jeggings, a plain white v-neck tee, Converses, and her clubmaster glasses.  _"Ugh. Why does she look so hot in glasses?"_ thought Laura, and she quickly chastised herself for the errant thought.  _"Get a grip, Hollis. She's your TA, nothing more. At least not anymore..."_ that last thought earned an internal groan. 

After their fight about Danny's overprotectiveness, Laura hadn't been paying too much attention to Danny. Her crush on the older girl seemed to be fading at an exponential rate, thanks to a certain dark haired lesbionic vampire who also happened to be her roommate. She is now ashamed to admit that she hadn't even thought about how Danny was doing after their fight. Until two days ago. Because two days ago, LaFontaine broke her blissful ignorance by telling her exactly what Danny had been up to. Now all she can think about is Danny " _Going out with hot brunettes who can't keep their hands to themselves!"_

Class must have ended because her classmates were starting to stand up and leave the room. Danny was back behind the desk gathering her things with deliberate slowness giving individual students a chance to approach and ask questions. 

 _"I'm a student,"_ Laura told herself. _"It totally wouldn't be weird if I went there to ask her a question."_ She silently nodded to herself at this thought.  _"Except I have no idea what this book is even about! Crap!"_

The hall was almost empty by the time Laura convinced herself to just _go for it._ _  
_

"Hey...Danny." Laura said awkwardly when she was finally in front of Danny. She made a half wave that was meant to be a confident gesture, but only served to punctuate her nervousness.

Danny looked up from gathering her papers on the desk. A brief look of surprise flashed across her face when she registered who was addressing her. She supposed they couldn't avoid each other forever. After all, she was still Laura's TA. 

"Hey Laura." for a few moments neither one spoke. Danny decided to break the ice, "Are you feeling ok, you were kinda zoned out back there in class." She smiled to let Laura she was mostly teasing.

 _So she did notice_."Sorry about that!" The short girl blushed instantly, tripping over her words to come up with an explanation that didn't say _"I was too busy ogling you and shaking off thoughts about you and some harlot."_  "I didn't sleep very well last night. Y'know, too much sleuthing and stuff." There was a certain familiar look on Danny's face at the mention of Laura's investigative activities, so Laura scrambled to add, "but nothing dangerous! I was just doing boring research holed up in my room reading about archaic supernatural weaponry with Carmilla." Damn. As soon as the name left her mouth, Laura wanted to facepalm. 

All Danny said was "Oh." And Laura could almost see her walls go up. Blue eyes turning cold and distant while trying their best to remain gentle... Professional. "So, um, did you have a question about the reading?" Danny finished putting her papers in her leather satchel and placed the strap across her body. They were the only ones in the room now.

"What?"

"The reading. Do you have a question?"

Laura finally recovered from her faux pas. She shook her head, "Oh, yeah. I mean no." She sighed, "Actually, I just wanted to talk to you." 

This caught Danny off guard. Not wanting to show any hopefulness, she began walking slowly towards the door as she spoke, "Really?" She turned her body slightly towards Laura to encourage the girl to walk with her. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I just... Well, we haven't seen each other much lately. I've kind of been wondering just how you're doing and stuff." 

They reached the door in just a few steps, Danny held the door open for Laura. She seemed to consider what Laura was saying. When they were both out of the hall, Danny turned to fully face Laura before she opened her mouth to speak. 

"Laura, I..." Danny didn't get the rest of her sentence out because long slender arms suddenly enveloped her from behind. 

To Laura's dismay, the slender arms were attached to a gorgeous brunette. Long brown hair done in wavy curls. The girl was shorter than Danny, but with barely 3-inch heel booties, she was  nearly eye level with the redhead. The girl looked like she just stepped out of a Nordstrom's catalog.

And just like that, Laura and Danny's moment was gone.

Danny put her hand on the girl's arm that was still across her collarbone. She tugged gently and twisted her own body so that she was half facing the newcomer. She had a smile on her face that made Laura's stomach twist. 

"Hey, this is a surprise... what are you doing here?"

"I'm picking you up, silly. I'm taking you out to lunch."

Laura watched the exchange with disdain. Glomp-girl was too comfortable with Danny.

"Laura, this is Stacie. Stacie this is..."

"Laura Hollis." The tall brunette interrupted, then turned to Laura, radiant smile never leaving her face,  "I watch your videos." 

 _"And you must be the clingy date"_ Laura thought before plastering on a forced smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Danny gave Laura a thoughtful look, as if trying to figure out what was off about her.

"Sorry I interrupted you two," the new girl spoke again. "It's not very easy to catch this one off guard, so I had to grab the opportunity." She then reached over to ruffle part of Danny's hair. Danny just stood there smiling like this was something normal.

Laura felt herself make a face, but quickly recovered. "Oh,no, no, no, no. You're fine. I'm late for my next class anyway. Can't have that." Laura knew she was speaking too fast, but she couldn't help herself. She'd had enough of this awkward encounter. "I'll see you around, Danny. Hopefully. Nice to meet you, uh..."

"Stacie" the brunette finished for her. She was still smiling. Ugh.

"Right. Stacie. See you both around." And with that Laura was out of there, leaving Danny dazed.

What just happened?


End file.
